Photo Gallery: Laundry Rooms

These luxe-looking laundry rooms are sure to inspire. Review these photos and get decorating ideas, as well as tips on storage, durable flooring, timeless cabinets, accessories, rugs, curtains, appliances and more. For more advice, view our Laundry Rooms We Love video, and check out our April 2010 issue.

Homeowner Alison Booth doesn’t shy away from colour, and her conveniently-located second-floor laundry room is no exception. Strong colours and graphic patterns balance each other and add interest. For a bold wallpaper like this, keep cabinets and flooring in neutral or white.

Gary and his wife wanted their main-floor laundry room to be lit by natural light and have lots of storage. These laminate cabinets look like Macassar ebony, but are more affordable and durable. To avoid wood overload, use slate or stone tiles on the floor if you’re installing wood cabinets.

This is the main entryway of a home that accesses the kitchen, basement, garage and a small powder room. Vinyl flooring in weathered elm is a durable option for this bustling area. Pale yellow ready-made cabinets are perfect for a laundry room, and stainless steel legs give them a more open, furniture-like feel.

Pretty blue cabinets, dark-wood floors and a school-house light create an air of vintage charm.

H&H senior editor Meg Crossley turned this unfinished basement laundry room into a laundry oasis. Improper venting meant the washer and dryer had to be moved to the opposite wall, where they’re now hidden by bi-fold doors. Meg also added a convenient sink with a kitchen-worthy faucet, an upper shelf and lower cabinets for extra storage. A contractor cut door fronts out of MDF, and then Meg added Shaker trim for a custom look. To give the basement an airy feeling, the space was painted white. Sico‘s Light Sugar (4150-11), an aged white, makes the ceilings seem higher without feeling sterile or cold. The cabinets were painted robin’s egg blue for a country-inspired look.

Who says laundry rooms should be bland and utilitarian? In H&H style editor Sarah Hartill’s space, a graphic-print rug warms up the cold floor and a pretty skirt disguises a basic sink. Floating stainless shelves provide plenty of open storage for detergent and other necessities.

A modular wall-mounted system allows for expanding storage needs in this airy laundry room. A ceiling drying rack eliminates the need for an electric dryer and saves valuable energy.

Photographer:

Angus Fergusson

Products:

Drying rack, The Laundry Lift.

Designer:

Tina Tymchuk

Finished Basement Laundry Room

A basement laundry room with ideas for decorating and organizing.

The laundry room of this renovated basement was designed to be clean and bright with lots of storage. Simple cabinets and drawers keep everything from linens to sports equipment organized and out of sight. A farmhouse sink and industrial style faucet and art lined along the countertop make the decor more worthy of a main-floor room than a basement for chores. Accessories like matching canisters and a dark tray finish the look off.

With an abundance of storage, an extra-deep sink and front-loading washer and dryer, it’s safe to say this room makes washing and folding a dream. Plants and framed artwork make the space feel more decorated and personal. The spaces does triple duty, functioning as a mudroom and craft space.

Though H&H style editor Sarah Hartill’s basement laundry room ceiling is low, shelves and a pegboard squeeze every last bit of storage out of the space. A pretty blue feature wall makes it an appealing place to sit and sew or finish folding clothes on top of the cabinets. See her pretty sink skirt, too.

Tiles and furniture pieces add character to a ’30s-inspired laundry room.

The vintage-industrial look of this space relies on the fully tiled floor and walls, along with the more decorative details. A footed storage cabinet pairs beautifully with a rough-hewn steel sink.

Photographer:

Donna Griffith

Let There Be Light

An interior window improves light and flow in this condo laundry room.

Talk about smart design ideas: a stacking washer/dryer save precious floor space and a frosted glass panel allows light to pour in from the adjacent kitchen. Flat-fronted cabinets under the sink keep the profile clean and modern.

Photographer:

Michael Graydon

Designer:

William MacDonald

Multi-Purpose Design

When space is limited, make it do double-duty.

In a cramped condo, there’s not always available square footage for a dedicated laundry room. Here, the owners had the smart idea of installing a stackable washer/dryer in the principal bathroom to ensure there wouldn’t be trips to the laundromat.

Peter Fallico — host of HGTV’s Home To Flip — renovated this laundry room to be clean and functional. Cabinets from Ikea and side by side laundry machines allow for one long countertop that can be used for storage and extra folding space. Fresh white paint on the ceiling and walls keeps the space light. A basic kitchen sink and faucet are perfect for a laundry room while finishing the edge of the melamine counter with metal trim elevates the overall decor. Pictures leaning along the countertop and coordinating containers for storage creates a pretty and polished look.

A vintage-inspired checkered floor and beadboard panelling add character and a country feel.

For hardworking rooms like this, keep the look crisp and classic so that it remains appealing over time. Durable materials, like these ceramic floor tiles and limestone counters, are also perfect for a high-traffic area. Closed cabinets and open storage with rustic baskets allows for versatility.